Duro Ladipo

Duro Ladipọ (1931–1978) was one of the best known and critically acclaimed Yoruba dramatists that emerged from postcolonial Africa. Writing solely in the Yoruba language, he captivated the symbolic spirit of Yoruba mythologies in his plays, which were later adapted to other media such as photography, television and cinema. His most famous play, Ọba kò so (The king did not hang), a dramatization of the traditional Yoruba story on how Ṣango became the God of Thunder, received international acclaim at the first Commonwealth Arts Festival in 1965, and on a European tour, where a Berlin critic, Ulli Beier, compared Ladipọ to Karajan. Ladipo usually acted in his own plays.

Duro was raised in a Christian family, his father was a minister at an Anglican church in Oṣogbo. However, Duro may have been influenced by his grandfather, who migrated to Oṣogbo after the Jalumi war. His grandfather was well versed in Yoruba mythology, especially those emanating from Old Ọyọ, and was known to have worshipped Ṣango and Ọya.

Ladipọ tried hard and succeeded in exposing himself to traditional and Yoruba cultural elements especially when living under the veil of a Christian home. At a young age, he would sneak out of the vicarage to watch Yoruba festivals. This fascination with his culture goaded him into researching and experimenting with theatrical drama and writing. After leaving Oṣogbo, he went to Ibadan, where he became a teacher. While in Ibadan he became one of the founding members of an artist society or club called Mbari Mbayo and became influenced by Beier. He later replicated the club in Oṣogbo and it became the premier group for promoting budding artists and dramatists in Oṣogbo. Throughout his career, Duro Ladipọ wrote ten Yoruba folk operas combining dance, music, mime, proverbs, drumming and praise songs.

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